Help! Wheel Alignments don't hold. Toyota don't seem to care?

[Cathy]

Help. Our Aurion is 2.5 yrs old (click: 80,000km). The moment we drove it off the new car floor, it needed a wheel alignment (steering pulled to left and shuddered). Since then, 3 sets of new tyres(last ones bought 6 months ago and need replacement in another 2,000km's) + LOTS of wheel alignments. Just had 3 wheel alignments in the past 2 weeks!. We have gone to Toyota several times advising of the problem. They replaced the "driving shaft" (not sure what they call it, but its a shaft that's connected to the steering wheel) which seemed to solve the shuddering about 1 yr ago, but the wheel alignments don't 'hold' and our tyres are wearing WAY to quickly and very unevenly. Every time we go to Toyota they say it's well alignment and fob us off. I'm in the process of taking it through their "customer experience" (HAH) section, but they don't seem very empathetic! Any suggestions out there?

[e240]

Go to Jax or something to get an alignment. Get them to check as well.

Drive shafts are different from steering shaft - if you replace the shaft to the steering wheel, thats probably a steering shaft.

The drive shafts come out of the tranmission into the wheel hub.

Also, check the condition of these parts on the steering rack - this is whats adjusted when you do a wheel alignment.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2-OUTER-TIE-ROD-END-Set-TOYOTA-AURION-07-09-/180515551954?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2-RACK-Tie-Rod-End-Set-TOYOTA-AURION-07-09-/170494328423?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories

Finally - check if your wheels are round...:-p

[DJKOR]

In my Sportivo, I had my pull to he left issue resolved 100% by the fitment of offset castor bushes from Fulcrum, part number SPF2904K. This is shown in the FAQ if you have looked there:

The TOCAU Aurion FAQ

Q) My Aurion pulls to the left even after a wheel alignment. Is there something wrong?

A)

There is a known issue that the Aurion will have a tendency to pull to the left on a perfectly flat road, and not due to the camber in the road itself. The issue is caused by the suspension castor not being correct. There is a solution however, and that is Super Pro Polyurethane Offset bushes. These are available from Fulcrum suspension under the part name SPF2904K. Toyota does not acknowledge the issue, but if you pursue them enough, they MAY change it for you under warranty.

Threads of interest:

Wheel alignment specs

[SuperDave]

First rule is never have a dealership do an alignment for you. Lesson learnt there.

As for your tyres, where were they wearing? On one shoulder of the tyre surface? Both? The middle? Can't guess what the problem is without knowing what damage was occuring to the tyre.

The pull to the left is usually caused by the crown in the road surface, but if the toe settings are more on one side than the other it can cause this to become worse (or ideally if set correctly it can remove this).

[FMAN]

When you next get your wheels aligned, get them to check for play in the drivers side inner track rod joint. If this is worn you will never get a consistant wheel alignment.I'm on my third steering rack for this.

Edited August 25, 2010 by FMAN

[Noodle Boy]

the fact that the steering pulls to the left occurs in pretty much every aurion i've seen,and it can be solved accordin to what Daryl(DJKOR) said. but geez, when you said that you needed a lot of tyres changed and wheel alignments in the past 2.5 yrs got me thinking that your situation isn't good.hope it doesn't occur on my aurion in the future.

[Ronnyboy]

Whenever doing wheel allignments (or anything related to tyres, other then rotations), always take the car to a well known Tyre service Centre, Such as

Bridgestone Tyre Centre,

Bobjane,

Beaurepairs,

Jax quickfit,

Goodyear, etc...

[GSV40R]

i know how to fix an aurion or camry 40 series pulling left. it is to replace the camber bolts , the bolts are stepped and give no adjustment. the replacement bolts are slightly different and allow for movement to create a difference in camber. each instance needs to be judged differently once the specs can be seen on the wheel alignment machine.

you dont always need to fit suspension bushes and so on. so tell me why a dealer doesn't know wheel alignments. after 23 years experience with toyota and having $30000 wheel alignment machines in the dealership and techs with some knowledge and decades in the trade , why is that worse than a place (wiv a tire fitta) not all dealerships are the same. its just like saying all customers are dumb ???? the way a dealership survives and keeps customer retention and satisfaction is to keep it all in house.

now thats my rant for the day

[DJKOR]

i know how to fix an aurion or camry 40 series pulling left. it is to replace the camber bolts , the bolts are stepped and give no adjustment. the replacement bolts are slightly different and allow for movement to create a difference in camber. each instance needs to be judged differently once the specs can be seen on the wheel alignment machine.

you dont always need to fit suspension bushes and so on. so tell me why a dealer doesn't know wheel alignments. after 23 years experience with toyota and having $30000 wheel alignment machines in the dealership and techs with some knowledge and decades in the trade , why is that worse than a place (wiv a tire fitta) not all dealerships are the same. its just like saying all customers are dumb ???? the way a dealership survives and keeps customer retention and satisfaction is to keep it all in house.

now thats my rant for the day

Eah dealer/speciality workshop is different, so I'm not going to make a generalisation here. Basically all I will say is just because a particular shop has all the required equipment to do a job, it doesn't necessarily mean the job will be done perfectly. I've had many wheel alignments/balances done, and from my experience, some shops come out with better results than others. For example, I've had some alignment + balance issues in the past and had taken it to two different places with no solid results. Took it to another shop which my old man recommended, and the problems were fixed perfectly.

It's all a personal thing at the end of the day. It just so happens that dealers have a higher reputation for doing a crappier alignment etc. On top of that, getting an alignment outside of Toyota not only gives better results for me, but even works out more cost efficient.

[GSV40R]

i know how to fix an aurion or camry 40 series pulling left. it is to replace the camber bolts , the bolts are stepped and give no adjustment. the replacement bolts are slightly different and allow for movement to create a difference in camber. each instance needs to be judged differently once the specs can be seen on the wheel alignment machine.

you dont always need to fit suspension bushes and so on. so tell me why a dealer doesn't know wheel alignments. after 23 years experience with toyota and having $30000 wheel alignment machines in the dealership and techs with some knowledge and decades in the trade , why is that worse than a place (wiv a tire fitta) not all dealerships are the same. its just like saying all customers are dumb ???? the way a dealership survives and keeps customer retention and satisfaction is to keep it all in house.

now thats my rant for the day

Eah dealer/speciality workshop is different, so I'm not going to make a generalisation here. Basically all I will say is just because a particular shop has all the required equipment to do a job, it doesn't necessarily mean the job will be done perfectly. I've had many wheel alignments/balances done, and from my experience, some shops come out with better results than others. For example, I've had some alignment + balance issues in the past and had taken it to two different places with no solid results. Took it to another shop which my old man recommended, and the problems were fixed perfectly.

It's all a personal thing at the end of the day. It just so happens that dealers have a higher reputation for doing a crappier alignment etc. On top of that, getting an alignment outside of Toyota not only gives better results for me, but even works out more cost efficient.

Hey Djkor , i was not having a go at yourself , i was aiming more at people who do generalise with statement like "there is your problem , going to dealer". where i know there are a huge amount of differences in dealership experiences. With Toyota taking a big part in the parts and service day to day running these days introducing TSM level 1 and 2 this should help iron out some of the crooks.

in the eyes of a manufacturer a wheel alignment can only be warranted if a component is faulty or the direct cause (hence camber bolt replacements). in general if you have an issue it can only be done at first service , it should have been sorted at pd. That is unless the dealer pays for it.

cheers Tim

[humsuptivo]

In my Sportivo, I had my pull to he left issue resolved 100% by the fitment of offset castor bushes from Fulcrum, part number SPF2904K. This is shown in the FAQ if you have looked there:

The TOCAU Aurion FAQ

Q) My Aurion pulls to the left even after a wheel alignment. Is there something wrong?

A)

There is a known issue that the Aurion will have a tendency to pull to the left on a perfectly flat road, and not due to the camber in the road itself. The issue is caused by the suspension castor not being correct. There is a solution however, and that is Super Pro Polyurethane Offset bushes. These are available from Fulcrum suspension under the part name SPF2904K. Toyota does not acknowledge the issue, but if you pursue them enough, they MAY change it for you under warranty.

Threads of interest:

Wheel alignment specs

just wanted to know if anyone in MELBOURNE have had this issue resolved 100%. please recommend me where to go as i have not had any luck with wheel alignments with local tyre shops.

thanks in advance and sorry to hijack the thread

[osho]

Guys,

I am in melbourne and I have the same problem. Can someone advise me where can I get it fixed in melbourne?

Thanks in advance.

[osho]

In my Sportivo, I had my pull to he left issue resolved 100% by the fitment of offset castor bushes from Fulcrum, part number SPF2904K. This is shown in the FAQ if you have looked there:

The TOCAU Aurion FAQ

Q) My Aurion pulls to the left even after a wheel alignment. Is there something wrong?

A)

There is a known issue that the Aurion will have a tendency to pull to the left on a perfectly flat road, and not due to the camber in the road itself. The issue is caused by the suspension castor not being correct. There is a solution however, and that is Super Pro Polyurethane Offset bushes. These are available from Fulcrum suspension under the part name SPF2904K. Toyota does not acknowledge the issue, but if you pursue them enough, they MAY change it for you under warranty.

Threads of interest:

Wheel alignment specs

just wanted to know if anyone in MELBOURNE have had this issue resolved 100%. please recommend me where to go as i have not had any luck with wheel alignments with local tyre shops.

thanks in advance and sorry to hijack the thread

Mate try this : http://maps.google.com.au/maps/place?cid=6313152534494796870&q=fulcrum+suspensions&hl=en&cd=4&cad=src:ppiwlink&ei=eXalTJ_pNIidkAXm-omJAw

Speak to these guys and quote the part number and they can tell you the nearest place which can fit it for you.

I called someone today(recommended by the guys at above link) and he advised that the part costs $196 and it will take 1.5hr labor and an alignment. So all together, it will cost me $396. I dont know whether its worth it. I havent decided yet to go ahead with this.

[Dan01]

In my Sportivo, I had my pull to he left issue resolved 100% by the fitment of offset castor bushes from Fulcrum, part number SPF2904K. This is shown in the FAQ if you have looked there:

The TOCAU Aurion FAQ

Q) My Aurion pulls to the left even after a wheel alignment. Is there something wrong?

A)

There is a known issue that the Aurion will have a tendency to pull to the left on a perfectly flat road, and not due to the camber in the road itself. The issue is caused by the suspension castor not being correct. There is a solution however, and that is Super Pro Polyurethane Offset bushes. These are available from Fulcrum suspension under the part name SPF2904K. Toyota does not acknowledge the issue, but if you pursue them enough, they MAY change it for you under warranty.

Threads of interest:

Wheel alignment specs

Thanks DJKOR! I noticed this when I recently purchased my Aurion ATX 2008 model :) I got a wheel alignment service done and it didn't fix the problem 100% as I still noticed drift to the left! Since reading your post I have been enquiring for different quotes in my area for the SPF2904K Upgrade of Suspension bushes :) So hopefully will get a fix for it soon!

I'll let you know how it went :) Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Kind Regards,

Daniel

[Magilla]

I had the same problem with my 2000 model Avalon (75,000klms). Bridgestone fixed it by doing a rear as well as a front wheel alignment, total cost $85.00AUD.

[Silver-Aurion]

Even after four new tyres, wheel alignment and wheel balance I still get this pull left issue.

Yesterday I drove my friend's mum's 2010 Holden VE SV6 (only 10,000K on it) and let me just say this car drives like it's driving on train tracks. It is just dead straight. Even if the road camber is tilted I can let go of the steering wheel and the car will track on effortlessly without me having to keep correcting.

The second I let go of my steering on my Aurion she immediately starts veering into the ditch. Annoying as hell as you're constantly correcting this when driving.

[MG70]

I had the Fulcrum bushes fitted at pedders in geelong and it did nothing. I have my doubts that they actually fit them because they kept putting off a time for me to pick the car up because they had broken an engine mount bolt ( would they need to touch those to fit the bushes? ) and this a was Saturday afternoon. The car still pulls to the left just as much as it did before. How would I be able to check if they have fit the bushes. I am a total dummy when it comes to anything like this lol.

[Jacob12]

I had the Fulcrum bushes fitted at pedders in geelong and it did nothing. I have my doubts that they actually fit them because they kept putting off a time for me to pick the car up because they had broken an engine mount bolt ( would they need to touch those to fit the bushes? ) and this a was Saturday afternoon. The car still pulls to the left just as much as it did before. How would I be able to check if they have fit the bushes. I am a total dummy when it comes to anything like this lol.

I've heard horror stories about Pedders, really wouldn't surprise me if they didn't even fit them.

I've got much the same issue but my car has crappy aftermarket wheels (will be replaced in time) so I just put it down to that + poor alignment. Might have to invest in this part from Fulcrum. Having 100,000 kay old control arm bushes replaced should probably be considered preventative maintainence anyway...

Edited October 5, 2011 by Jacob12

[GShadow]

I had the Fulcrum bushes fitted at pedders in geelong and it did nothing. I have my doubts that they actually fit them because they kept putting off a time for me to pick the car up because they had broken an engine mount bolt ( would they need to touch those to fit the bushes? ) and this a was Saturday afternoon. The car still pulls to the left just as much as it did before. How would I be able to check if they have fit the bushes. I am a total dummy when it comes to anything like this lol.

I've heard horror stories about Pedders, really wouldn't surprise me if they didn't even fit them.

I've got much the same issue but my car has crappy aftermarket wheels (will be replaced in time) so I just put it down to that + poor alignment. Might have to invest in this part from Fulcrum. Having 100,000 kay old control arm bushes replaced should probably be considered preventative maintainence anyway...

Hi all, I have had my 2008 ZR6 with 25,000km on it for 3 weeks. It had a bad pull to the left problem so I found all the info I needed from this forum and with that info started calling around to get quotes and see who knew what they were talking about. Ended up getting the local Pedders to look into it and they installed a front camber pin kit and a front alignment (no rear alignment needed for my vehicle anyway).

They told me the front right wheel camber was out just over one degree, left side was almost spot on. Without the installation of the camber pin kit you can't correct the one degree fault.

The reason I chose Pedders and paid a bit more than others quoted is because the guy at Pedders knew what he was talking about, so just ring around and go with the one that has dealt with the problem before and knows what they are talking about.

Edited October 20, 2011 by GShadow

[MG70]

I had the Fulcrum bushes fitted at pedders in geelong and it did nothing. I have my doubts that they actually fit them because they kept putting off a time for me to pick the car up because they had broken an engine mount bolt ( would they need to touch those to fit the bushes? ) and this a was Saturday afternoon. The car still pulls to the left just as much as it did before. How would I be able to check if they have fit the bushes. I am a total dummy when it comes to anything like this lol.

I've heard horror stories about Pedders, really wouldn't surprise me if they didn't even fit them.

I've got much the same issue but my car has crappy aftermarket wheels (will be replaced in time) so I just put it down to that + poor alignment. Might have to invest in this part from Fulcrum. Having 100,000 kay old control arm bushes replaced should probably be considered preventative maintainence anyway...

Hi all, I have had my 2008 ZR6 with 25,000km on it for 3 weeks. It had a bad pull to the left problem so I found all the info I needed from this forum and with that info started calling around to get quotes and see who knew what they were talking about. Ended up getting the local Pedders to look into it and they installed a front camber pin kit and a front alignment (no rear alignment needed for my vehicle anyway).

They told me the front right wheel camber was out just over one degree, left side was almost spot on. Without the installation of the camber pin kit you can't correct the one degree fault.

The reason I chose Pedders and paid a bit more than others quoted is because the guy at Pedders knew what he was talking about, so just ring around and go with the one that has dealt with the problem before and knows what they are talking about.

Which pedders did you go to GShadow?

[GShadow]

I had the Fulcrum bushes fitted at pedders in geelong and it did nothing. I have my doubts that they actually fit them because they kept putting off a time for me to pick the car up because they had broken an engine mount bolt ( would they need to touch those to fit the bushes? ) and this a was Saturday afternoon. The car still pulls to the left just as much as it did before. How would I be able to check if they have fit the bushes. I am a total dummy when it comes to anything like this lol.

I've heard horror stories about Pedders, really wouldn't surprise me if they didn't even fit them.

I've got much the same issue but my car has crappy aftermarket wheels (will be replaced in time) so I just put it down to that + poor alignment. Might have to invest in this part from Fulcrum. Having 100,000 kay old control arm bushes replaced should probably be considered preventative maintainence anyway...

Hi all, I have had my 2008 ZR6 with 25,000km on it for 3 weeks. It had a bad pull to the left problem so I found all the info I needed from this forum and with that info started calling around to get quotes and see who knew what they were talking about. Ended up getting the local Pedders to look into it and they installed a front camber pin kit and a front alignment (no rear alignment needed for my vehicle anyway).

They told me the front right wheel camber was out just over one degree, left side was almost spot on. Without the installation of the camber pin kit you can't correct the one degree fault.

The reason I chose Pedders and paid a bit more than others quoted is because the guy at Pedders knew what he was talking about, so just ring around and go with the one that has dealt with the problem before and knows what they are talking about.

Which pedders did you go to GShadow?

I'm in Vic n the Pedders I went to was Ringwood. pedders in Lillydale gave me a better quote over the phone but for me Ringwood was closer.